Welcome to "Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally, Safely &
Without Drugs." This guide will help you understand what blood pressure
is, what makes it become elevated and why that is a problem, as well as what
to do about it.

If
you're reading this book, probably you or someone you know and care about has
already gotten the diagnosis of high blood pressure from a medical
professional. But having a doctor say "high blood pressure" and
actually knowing what that means are two different things.

Chapter
One of this guide will give you all the basics about blood pressure: what it
is, what happens when it is high and why it needs to be regulated. If you have
just received a diagnosis of high blood pressure, this is probably where you
will want to start.

If
you already know some of the basics, you might want to skip ahead to Chapter
Two. This chapter outlines the traditional treatment options that have been
used by doctors to help people lower their blood pressure. Some of these are
pharmaceutical, others, like lowering weight, may be considered more natural
and helpful to those of us who seek natural cures.

Chapter
Three goes into even more detail on natural treatment options for high blood
pressure and so-called "alternative" remedies. From changes in your
diet to different herbal supplements you might consider, this chapter runs
down all the things you can do yourself to treat your high blood pressure that
your doctor probably didn't tell you.

Chapter
Four deals with prevention of high blood pressure. Once you have gotten your
blood pressure down to more normal levels, you'll want to do everything you
can to keep it that way. Or, if you have a family history of high blood
pressure but don't yet have it yourself, you'll want to start here so you can
find out the most effective strategies for preventing high blood pressure in
yourself and those you love.

Finally,
the book concludes with a quick summary of some of the best advice presented
in these pages, as well as a list of place online you can go for even more
information about high blood pressure, how to treat it and how to prevent it.

We
hope you will find this guide useful and that you will take the time to apply
at least some of the suggestions enclosed. Reversing high blood pressure
without drugs can take some time, but the increase in health and well being
you will feel is well worth it. And it might just save your life. Let's get
started.

According
to the American Heart Association, about 65 million Americans over the age of
20 have high blood pressure. That's about one in three adults in the country,
and only about 63 percent of those with high blood pressure were even aware
that they had it.

That's
because there aren't really any clear symptoms of high blood pressure, also
known as hypertension. In fact, the cause of 90 to 95 percent of the cases of
high blood pressure in
America
isn't known, according to the association.

So
why should a person worry if he or she has high blood pressure? Hypertension
raises your risk for other health problems including heart attacks and
strokes. In 2003, the last year for which statistics are available, more than
52,000 Americans died because of complications related to high blood pressure.
The rate of death from high blood pressure has increased nearly 30 percent
between 1993 and 2004.

It's
important to understand what blood pressure is before you can know why it is
vital to do something about your high blood pressure.

Blood
pressure is basically the force exerted on the arteries by the blood as it
passes through them. Someone with high blood pressure has blood that is
putting higher-than-normal pressure on the arteries, which puts more stress on
the body than normal.

The
heart has to work so hard to get the blood pumped through those arteries that
it can actually enlarge and damage the heart, eventually causing heart
attacks, strokes and other heart problems if left untreated.

Your heart usually beats between 60 and 70 times a minute when you are
at rest. The blood's pressure is different depending on whether the heart is
beating or at rest. So a blood pressure reading is actually a reading of both
of these numbers.

The
measure of blood pressure while the heart is beating is known as systolic
pressure, while the pressure when the heart is at rest is called diastolic
pressure. Your blood pressure when you get it measured at the doctor's office
is reported as one number "over" another, such as 120/80. The
"top" number is your systolic pressure while the bottom is your
diastolic pressure.

The
actual measuring of blood pressure is done with the help of a blood pressure
cuff, which most people are familiar with from routinely having their blood
pressure taken at the doctor's office. This device includes a cuff that is
secured around the upper arm and two rubber tubes, one of which goes to the
rubber bulb that inflates the cuff, and the other which goes to a reservoir
containing mercury. The effect on the mercury is actually how the blood
pressure is measured.

As
air is blown into the cuff, the doctor or nurse taking your blood pressure
will listen for the pulse. When he or she first hears the pulse, the systolic
measurement is recorded. The sound of the pulse recedes, and then the doctor
takes the diastolic reading. The unit of measure is actually millimeters of
mercury, reflecting the use of mercury in the test.

We've
all gotten our blood pressure taken almost every time we go to the doctor's
office, but unless you've been told you have high blood pressure you might not
have any concept of what normal blood pressure is.

Here
are the numbers for what is usually considered "normal," as well as
prehypertension and hypertension.

Normal

These
numbers are considered the proper range for adults who are not on blood
pressure medication and do not have illnesses such as kidney disease. If your
blood pressure does not clearly fall into one of these categories, the higher
number is the one to look at. For instance, if your systolic blood pressure is
125 but your diastolic is 75, you would still be considered prehypertensive.

Since we can't talk of symptoms when we are talking about high blood
pressure, it is better to look at risk factors that might cause a person to
have high blood pressure. Often the only way a person finds out they have high
blood pressure is because their blood pressure is tested at the doctor's
office.

What
could put you at risk for having high blood pressure?

Heredity:
If your parents had high blood pressure, you are more likely to as well.

Race:
African Americans are more likely than Caucasians to have high blood
pressure.

Gender:
Men are more likely than women to have high blood pressure.

Age:
As you get older, your risk increases.

Salt
intake: It's not clear why sodium affects blood pressure, but some people
are sensitive to sodium, and most people get much more than they need.

Obesity:
Being overweight is a huge risk factor for high blood pressure.

In
addition, there are other factors or conditions that can increase your risk of
high blood pressure, including:

·Being pregnant

·Having diabetes

·Drinking alcohol to excess

·Living a sedentary lifestyle

·Taking oral contraceptives or some other medications such as
steroids, diet pills, cold remedies, even ibuprofen

As mentioned earlier, the blood pressure cuff measures blood pressure,
but one high reading is not enough for a diagnosis to be made. You could be
having an especially stressful day or have other issues that are causing your
blood pressure to spike at that particular time. If you and your doctor think
you might have high blood pressure, several readings might be taken during the
same visit (including measurements from both arms), as well as a family
history and physical examination.

The
doctor likely will do a lot of listening to the heart as well as other areas
of the body to see if he or she can hear any strange noises that might
indicate a blockage or irregular heartbeat. The doctor may also look at the
blood vessels of the eyes, which could be damaged by chronic high blood
pressure, and examine the thyroid gland.

Your
doctor should ask if anyone in your family has had high blood pressure and
what medicines you have been taking (since some drugs can cause hypertension,
as we just talked about). He or she will also ask what kind of symptoms you
have had such as dizziness, sweating, heart palpitations or weight loss. These
symptoms could indicate a deeper problem than high blood pressure.

Blood
may also be taken to check for kidney disease, which can cause high blood
pressure, as well as abnormal vitamin and mineral levels, which could indicate
a gland problem. An electrocardiogram is also helpful to make sure no damage
has occurred to the heart. You may have even had a heart attack and don't know
it; this test will show you how your heart is doing.

Once you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it is up to you
and your doctor to come up with the course of treatment that will be best for
you. We hope that you can use the information in the rest of this book to have
an informed conversation with your doctor about what is best for you on the
road to healing your body and curing your high blood pressure.

There
are many potential health problems that could come your way in the future if
you don't treat your high blood pressure. It's hard to believe that something
that doesn't manifest any symptoms can be causing so much damage, but there
are a whole host of health problems that can be caused or made worse by your
high blood pressure, including atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the
arteries, heart disease, stroke or aneurism. You could have heart failure or a
heart attack.

That's why it is so
important to treat your high blood pressure, whether you use the standard
medical "cures," which artificially keep your blood pressure lower
than it would be without the drugs, or use more natural methods to lower your
blood pressure. Before we get to those methods, let's take a look at how the
medical establishment commonly treats high blood pressure.

Traditionally, much of the treatment for high blood pressure has
centered around lifestyle changes as well as medication. As mentioned in the
last chapter, there are a lot of risk factors for high blood pressure, and
while you can't change the fact that you are getting older or that you are
male, for instance, there are some risk factors that you can do something
about.

For
that reason, the main advice given by doctors to their patients with high
blood pressure includes:

Lose
weight if you are overweight.

Be
more active.

Eat
a healthy diet low in cholesterol, saturated fat and salt.

Cut
back on alcohol to no more than one drink a day for women and two a day
for men.

Take
medicine only as prescribed.

For
some people, this advice (and following through with it) is enough to get
their blood pressure back to normal levels. And if your blood pressure isn't
too high, this may be enough for you, as well.

If
diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes aren't enough to reverse high blood
pressure, doctors have a variety of drugs in their arsenals to try.

One of the most popular treatments for high blood pressure is a
prescription diuretic. These drugs remove fluid and salt from the body, which
makes the volume of blood in the body less, allowing it to flow through the
blood vessels more easily.

Because sensitivity to salt is sometimes to blame in high blood
pressure cases, flushing out the salt and beginning a lower-salt diet can be
helpful for those people who are actually sensitive to sodium.

The main problem with diuretics, however, is that they can't
distinguish between flushing out things that are good for the body and things
that are bad. So in addition to getting rid of excess water and salt, they can
also rid your body of nutrients that might be helpful in lowering your blood
pressure. Potassium is a huge example, which we will talk about in more detail
in the next chapter.

For now, it's enough to know that diuretics tend to remove both the bad
and the good from the body, and they can cause weakness, dizziness and
irregular heart beat, among other problems.

Another major category of blood pressure medication is known as beta
blockers. These drugs reduce the nerve impulses to the heart and blood
vessels, making the heart beat more slowly and with less force. This causes
the blood pressure to drop because the blood is putting less force on the
vessels.

Beta blockers can increase symptoms of asthma, lower your good
cholesterol levels and cause rapid heartbeat if stopped abruptly. Beta
blockers are a good example of why, if you use traditional medicine for your
treatment of high blood pressure, you may end up having to take drugs for the
rest of your life because the rebound when you go off the drugs can be
dramatic.

Other side effects of beta blockers can include insomnia, cold hands
and feet, tiredness and depression. People who have diabetes need to be
monitored very carefully if they are taking insulin along with beta blockers.

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, also known as ACE inhibitors,
prevent the formation of a chemical, angiotensin II, which causes the blood
vessels to narrow. Taking an ACE inhibitor can help the blood vessels relax,
allowing blood to flow more easily.

Side effects of ACE inhibitors can include skin rashes, loss of your
sense of taste, or a chronic, dry cough. In rare instances kidney damage can
occur.

Other similar drugs include the angiotensin II receptor blockers, which
shield blood vessels from angiotensin, allowing the blood vessels to widen,
and calcium channel blockers, which keep calcium from moving into the muscle
cells of the blood vessels and heart, also causing vessels to relax and blood
pressure to go down.

Both of these types of drugs may cause dizziness, while the calcium
channel blockers can also lead to heart palpitations, headaches, swollen
ankles, constipation and other problems that vary depending on the particular
drug you are taking.

Alpha blockers reduce nerve impulses to the blood vessels. Without the
impulses, the muscles can't contract. This relaxes the blood vessels, allowing
blood to flow more easily and the blood pressure to be reduced.

When you first take an alpha blocker, you may have a huge dip in blood
pressure that causes dizziness and can make you feel faint. After taking the
drug longer, side effects include headache, nausea, and weakness, pounding
heart, weight gain and increase of "bad" cholesterol. Some studies
have even shown that alpha blockers can cause heart failure when used
long-term, exactly one of the conditions you're trying to prevent by
treating your high blood pressure!

Sometimes alpha and beta blockers are combined to make for a safer
treatment plan, but all of the same side effects and potential problems are
still there.

Vasodilators, also known as blood vessel dilators, open the blood
vessels by relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls, allowing blood pressure to
go down. These drugs are usually used with other blood pressure reducing drugs
for best results.

These drugs can cause headaches, swelling around the eyes, heart
palpitations or aches and pains in the joints. These symptoms usually go away
after a couple of weeks. One vasodilator you may have heard of is Minoxidil,
which is also marketed as a hair-growth stimulator. It shouldn't be a
surprise, then, that a side effect of taking it for high blood pressure is
hair growth. Another is extreme weight gain. It is only used in very severe
cases of high blood pressure that do not respond to other treatments.

If your doctor has prescribed a blood-pressure lowering drug or
combination of drugs for you and you are currently taking them, do not stop
cold turkey or without consulting your doctor.

As mentioned above it is possible to cause health problems by coming
off the drugs, and you certainly don't want to make your problems worse by
playing doctor with yourself. Talk to your doctor about your intention to
treat your blood pressure naturally, and the two of you can develop a plan for
getting you off the blood pressure drugs without further harming your health.

If you aren't already on one or some of these drugs, however, read on
to learn about some more natural ways you can control your blood pressure.
Armed with the information in this book you and your doctor should be able to
come up with an intelligent plan for treating your high blood pressure and
getting it under control before it causes any health problems for you. Let's
move on to talking about the concrete things you can do, starting today, to
reverse your high blood pressure problems.

One of the great things about treating high blood pressure naturally is
that even doctors will agree there are many non-pharmaceutical things you can
do to improve your health and lower your blood pressure. We touched on these
at the beginning of the last chapter, but they are so important that it is
worth going over them again in more detail.

The best thing you can do for your body if you are overweight is to
lose weight. Not only will losing weight improve the health of your heart, it
will make your whole body work better and will reduce your risk for many of
the diseases that plague modern life.

The British Blood Pressure Association (http://www.bpassoc.org.uk/)
says that decreasing your weight by 22 pounds can lower your systolic pressure
(that's the top number or the measure of pressure when your heart is pumping)
by five to 10 points. That may not seem like a lot, but it can be the
difference between prehypertension and normal blood pressure.

A good way to determine if you are overweight, if you don't already
know is to measure your body mass index. This number is a calculation based on
your height and weight. You can quickly measure your own body mass index by
entering your weight and height on a calculator like the one provided by the
National Institutes of Health (http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/). A body mass
index of between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal weight, while a
measurement of 25-29.9 is considered overweight and over 30 is obese.

If you fall into the overweight or obese category, it is important to
try to lose weight. Make sure your diet is a healthy one, full of fruits,
vegetables and whole grains. You should also include physical activity when
possible (more on why below). Losing one to two pounds a week is usually
considered a healthy rate, and this slow pace will reap big rewards.

Not only will exercise help you if you are overweight and have high
blood pressure, it is also helpful for normal weight people with high blood
pressure. According to a fact sheet provided by the Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/HI00024),
activity is the key to strengthening your heart. And a strong heart pumps more
blood with less effort, thus lowering your blood pressure without doing
anything else.

Getting more exercise can lower your blood pressure another 10 points,
and if you don't already have high blood pressure it can help you prevent it.
About 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day is ideal for preventing or
reducing high blood pressure (and it will make that weight loss easier, too).

I hope you're beginning to see how each of these steps builds on one
another to help lower your blood pressure. Both eating a better diet and
exercising more can help you lose weight, and all three are vital to lowering
your blood pressure. A popular diet for the treatment of high blood pressure
is known as the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).

The DASH diet was studied by the National Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute and found to lower blood pressure in as little as two weeks when
followed faithfully. The cornerstone of the diet is reduction of sodium to at
most 2,300 milligrams a day (1,500 milligrams was even more effective). The
recommended daily allowance for sodium in 2,400 milligrams a day in the
United States
, but that much is certainly not needed for good health.

In addition to the reduction of sodium, the DASH diet calls for eating
lots of grains, fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts, seeds, and dried
beans. It's not a vegetarian diet but the amount of meat is reduced from what
most people probably eat. The diet also involved supplementation with
potassium, calcium and magnesium, all of which we will talk about later.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute,
"Scientists supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
conducted two key studies. Their findings showed that blood pressures were
reduced with an eating plan that is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and
total fat and that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and fat-free or low-fat milk
and milk products. This eating plan—known as the DASH eating plan—also
includes whole grain products, fish, poultry, and nuts. It is reduced in lean
red meat, sweets, added sugars, and sugar-containing beverages compared to the
typical American diet. It is rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, as
well as protein and fiber."

This
diet can not only help reduce high blood pressure, the suggested reduction in
calories will also make it easier to lose weight, which, again, will help
lower blood pressure. Everything is connected!

"Results
showed that reducing dietary sodium lowered blood pressure for both eating
plans," according to the NHLBI. "At each sodium level, blood
pressure was lower on the DASH eating plan than on the other eating plan. The
greatest blood pressure reductions were for the DASH eating plan at the sodium
intake of 1,500 milligrams per day. Those with high blood pressure saw the
greatest reductions, but those with prehypertension also had large
decreases."

Wine in particular has been in the news a lot lately for the healthy
effect it seems to have on the body, including offering protection against
heart disease and certain cancers. But too much alcohol can be bad news for
people with high blood pressure, and if you are particularly sensitive to
alcohol any amount may be too much.

The mechanism that causes alcohol to raise the blood pressure isn't
known, but cutting back on drinking can lower your systolic pressure two to
four points and your diastolic pressure by one to two points.

Alcohol in moderation is fine for most people. A woman can have one
drink a day while a man can have two. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer,
five ounces of wine or one ounce of liquor.

Now that we've taken a look at what medical and natural health
practitioners agree on when it comes to preventing or treating high blood
pressure, let's delve into the more non-traditional but still quite effective
treatments.

One of the most important nutrients for your body when it comes to
treating high blood pressure is potassium. You probably know that bananas are
high in potassium, even if you don't really know what potassium is or what it
does for the body.

Potassium is an element and a nutrient that is required by the body. It
allows muscle contraction and helps send nerve impulses through the body.
Potassium can also help the body remove waste.

The interesting thing about potassium is that too much sodium in the
body can keep potassium from working as it should. Even if you're getting
enough potassium, which most people aren't, if you're also getting a lot of
sodium you could be missing out on the healthy effects.

Further, diuretics can flush potassium as well as sodium from the body,
giving you even more of a deficit than you started out with.

Researchers at Duke found that getting more potassium could lower blood
pressure by as many as 20 points for people most at risk for high blood
pressure. Other studies have found reductions of around four points for
systolic pressure and two points for diastolic pressure, about half the
reduction usually seen when using blood pressure lowering drugs.

It is possible to supplement potassium (though the potassium
supplements sold over the counter have very small amounts of potassium and
larger doses are only available by prescription) but the best way to get more
potassium is through diet. Recent studies have found that the type of
potassium found in most foods is as effective at lowering blood pressure as
the type available in supplements.

The
recommended daily allowance for potassium is 4,700 milligrams, though most
people get much less than that. Here are some foods that are high in
potassium:

Magnesium is a micronutrient found in the bones, body tissues and
organs of the body. It is necessary for normal muscle and nerve function,
steady heartbeat, strong bones and a healthy immune system. Potassium and
magnesium actually work together in the body, so if you have low magnesium
levels, it's likely your potassium levels will be low as well.

It is recommended that most people get around 400 milligrams of
magnesium a day.Again, taking
diuretics may flush magnesium from your body, so supplementation or eating
extra foods rich in magnesium may be necessary.

There is not as much evidence regarding magnesium's effectiveness in
treating high blood pressure as there is for potassium, but the DASH diet
calls for 500 milligrams of potassium daily and many studies suggest that a
combination of potassium, magnesium (and often calcium) and fiber are
protective of the heart and can reduce high blood pressure. Foods that are
high in magnesium include:

Calcium is the third member of the nutrient trio that is often
mentioned as important for the reduction of high blood pressure. Most people
know that calcium helps keep the bones and teeth healthy, but it's also
essential for the proper functioning of muscles and nerves and helps blood
clot.

There is no consensus as to whether calcium supplementation is helpful
for reducing high blood pressure, but, again, it was one of the nutrients that
the DASH study focused on (it recommends 1,250 milligrams a day, while the RDA
is 1,000 milligrams for most adults).

Even if calcium does not lower high blood pressure, most studies agree
that having low levels of calcium can raise blood pressure, so it is important
to try to get the recommended amount of calcium, whether through supplements
or diet, such as the following foods:

·Broccoli

·Dairy products (preferably low-fat)

·Salmon

·Spinach

·Tofu

·Orange juice, cereal and other foods fortified with calcium

Give Me Garlic

Garlic is probably one of the most popular herbal supplements out
there. Garlic is a bulb that is popularly used for flavoring in cooking, but
it is also beneficial for the heart and is known to help lower cholesterol.

It is thought that the volatile compounds in garlic are what are
beneficial for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, especially
allicin, which is what gives garlic its pungent smell.

Garlic supplements should provide at least 10 milligrams of allicin in
a daily dose. Commission E, which sets guidelines for dietary supplements and
herbs in
Germany
, suggests that garlic supplements should provide the equivalent of 4,000
milligrams of fresh garlic, somewhere between one and four cloves depending on
the size.

This amount of garlic (or commercial garlic preparation) consumed daily
can lower systolic blood pressure five to 11 points and diastolic pressure up
to five points. The reduction in blood pressure is most significant when real,
whole garlic is eaten, but the garlic supplements are also effective and
better than nothing if you don't like garlic.

Coenzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10 for short, is a supplement you might
not have heard of before, but its use is growing among people with lots of
different health problems. CoQ10 is produced by the body and is needed for the
basic functioning of cells. Levels of CoQ10 are thought to decrease as people
get older, and they are often lower than normal in people with health
conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other ailments.

In fact, in some studies nearly 40 percent of people with high blood
pressure had low levels of CoQ10, which strongly suggests supplementing CoQ10
is helpful for those with high blood pressure.

CoQ10 has been used to treat everything from arthritis to Alzheimer's,
to boost exercise performance among healthy people and to lower blood
pressure. According to the Mayo Clinic, using CoQ10 supplements to treat high
blood pressure is actually the most effective use, as supplements have shown
small drops in blood pressure after several weeks of use. The standard dose is
around 100 milligrams daily.

Hawthorn is an herb widely used in
Europe
to treat cardiovascular problems. Both the berries and the flowers of the
hawthorn plant are used in herbal preparations to make the heart and
cardiovascular systems more efficient.

Hawthorn widens the blood vessels, so it works in a similar way to the
conventional ACE inhibitor drugs. Its ability to lower blood pressure is
rather mild compared to some of the other supplements you could be taking, but
it is also thought to generally improve the condition of the heart when taken
for several weeks.

The recommended dose for hawthorn is 100 to 250 milligrams of hawthorn
preparation with 10 percent procyanidins three times a day. You may have to
take it for up to a month before you see effects.

Many vitamins have been shown to have an effect on blood pressure,
particularly vitamins C, E, B5, B6 and folic acid, which is also a B vitamin.

Folic
acid, found in green leafy vegetables and many enriched food products (because
it prevents birth defects), reduces homocysteine levels in the blood.
Homocysteine is a risk factor for heart disease, and higher levels out you at
higher risk for heart problems.

Young
women who consumed at least one milligram of folic acid daily had a 46 percent
lower risk of high blood pressure than those who consumed less, while older
women had an 18 percent reduced incidence of high blood pressure. The
recommended dose for folic acid is 400 micrograms a day.

Vitamin
B6 also affects homocysteine levels and is vital for metabolism. It is found
in beans, meat, poultry and fortified cereals, as well as some fruits and
vegetables. The recommended amount of B6 varies, but it is less than two
milligrams for most people. One study gave people 5 milligrams per day per two
pounds of body weight and significantly reduced blood pressure in just four
weeks, with an average drop of about 10 points each for both systolic and
diastolic pressure.

B5,
which comes from beans, peas, vegetables, fish and whole grains, helps the
body make coenzyme A, a deficiency of which can cause low energy levels. It
may help improve heart function and detoxify the body. There are no
supplements of coenzyme A—it has to be made by the body. Supplements that
claim to be coenzyme A are really B5, calcium, magnesium and other nutrients,
so you might as well save your money and eat a diet rich in these other
nutrients.

A
500-milligram supplement of vitamin C was found to reduce blood pressure by
about nine percent. That's much higher than the recommended daily amount of 60
milligrams a day, but it is safe to take vitamin C in high doses. The thought
is that vitamin C protects the body's levels of nitric acid, a compound that
dilates the blood vessels and helps to lower blood pressure. Since vitamin C
is an antioxidant, it may help protect the body's level of nitric oxide when
it is under stress.

Vitamin
E is generally thought to be very helpful for the heart. It can help break
down blood clots, improve circulation and strengthen the heartbeat. Vitamin E
is recommended to people with high blood pressure more for these reasons than
because it lowers blood pressure significantly. Since high blood pressure is a
risk factor in other heart problems, it makes sense to supplement vitamin E to
prevent further damage. The RDA is 10 milligrams a day, but it is safe to take
much more. Nuts, wheat, apples and dark greens are good sources of vitamin E.
If you want to supplement, buy the natural vitamin E pills, made with d-alpha-tocopherol,
which is easier for your body to work with.

Selenium

Along
with zinc and copper, selenium may be helpful for people with high blood
pressure. These three nutrients are often low in people with heart disease, so
it makes sense that supplementing them may be helpful to people with heart
problems or high blood pressure.

You
can probably get enough of all three of these nutrients by taking a good
quality multivitamin. Selenium comes from meat, dark greens, wheat, walnuts
and Brazil nuts. Zinc can be found in meat, dairy, and beans. Copper is in
seafood, nuts, legumes and leafy dark greens.

Beta
glucan is found in oat bran and maitake mushrooms. It is beneficial for
lowering cholesterol, which can help lower blood pressure if you already have
high cholesterol. Oat bran is particularly helpful for moving waste materials
out of the body.

About
200 milligrams of oat bran daily can help lower cholesterol and may be
beneficial for high blood pressure.

An
amino acid that helps the body produce nitric acid, L-argine may be helpful in
lowering blood pressure. It can be found in meat, peanuts, soy and wheat
products. A study that involved taking two grams of L-argine daily reduced
systolic pressure 20 points after taking the supplement daily for just a few
days.

Lecithin
helps the body eliminate fat and can help improve liver function. Its function
in the body is similar to the Omega 3 fatty acids, which we'll talk about in
just a second. One good source for lecithin is beef and sheep brains, but the
supplements you will find in the market are made from soy. Another good source
is egg yolks.

The
main problem with supplementing with lecithin is that it tastes awful. You can
buy it in capsules but to get the recommended dose of around three tablespoons
a day, you'd be taking most of an expensive bottle of pills daily. The
granules are much cheaper but unpleasant to eat.

You
can make them a little more palatable by eating them off a spoon coated with
molasses and chasing the dose with milk. Or mix them into a cold beverage.
They won't dissolve, but drinking them this way will mask the taste a little.

Fish
oil, also known as Omega 3 fatty acid, is very helpful for the heart. If you
eat fish two or three times a week, which the guidelines say we all should,
you are probably getting enough fish oil to protect your heart and lower your
blood pressure.

If
not, supplementation may be in order. There are many high quality fish oil
supplements out there, but there are also a lot that are not as good or don't
include the amount of fatty acids the label suggests. If possible, ask your
doctor, pharmacist or a natural health expert for a recommendation of a good
brand.

If
you don't eat fish because you are a vegetarian, you can also supplement with
flaxseed oil. Flax contains alpha-linolenic acid, another term for Omega 3s,
and is often more cost-effective than taking as many as 10 fish oil capsules a
day.

Studies have shown that consuming just a tablespoon of flaxseed oil
daily lowered both blood pressure numbers by about nine points.

Many
people have had success treating high blood pressure with apple cider vinegar,
perhaps because it is high in so many of the vitamins and nutrients that are
thought to be helpful in lowering high blood pressure.

Apple
cider vinegar includes vitamins C, A, E, B1, B2 and B6, in addition to
potassium, magnesium, copper and many other helpful nutrients. Being vinegar,
it doesn't taste great, but a common way to take it is to mix two tablespoons
in eight ounces of water and add some honey to taste. Some people also throw
in a garlic clove for even more heart-healthy benefits.

The
usefulness of apple cider vinegar for high blood pressure is largely
anecdotal, that is, there haven't been any studies showing its effectiveness.
Still, given what's in it, it makes sense that it would help.

Cayenne
is another herb that is thought to benefit the heart in all sorts of ways. It
improves circulation and keeps the arteries from hardening. Proponents of
cayenne (actually capsicum, the component that makes hot peppers hot) say it
is one of the best things you can take to help your heart, and some claim it
can actually stop a heart attack.

Mix
a teaspoon of cayenne into a glass of water and drink a couple of times a day.
Some people can work up to a tablespoon a glass, but you need to do this
gradually to get your body used to it. Some people prefer to take it in hot
water seasoned with lemon or honey.

A
form of traditional Asian medicine, acupuncture uses small needles inserted in
the skin to move the energy around in your body. It is believed that illness
comes from blockages in energy, or chi, attempting to flow in the body.
Acupuncture can help get the energy flowing again.

Even if you don't believe the theory behind acupuncture, it's hard to
deny the effectiveness of it in practice. A study in rats using acupuncture
combined with electronic stimulation lowered high blood pressure by as much as
50 percent.

A small human study showed
no improvement in blood pressure, but other people have had good results. It
is certainly something worth trying if other methods of controlling your high
blood pressure have failed.

Acupressure, a method of directed massage that also works to get
blocked energy flowing, can also be useful for high blood pressure. Again, it
is important that you go to a practitioner with experience and do not try to
do these moves on yourself or a loved one.

Ayurvedic
medicine is a discipline of medicine that originated in
India
. It suggests that different people have different body types and therefore
have to be treated in different ways when it comes to healing diseases.

Unless
you know about ayurvedic medicine, you shouldn't attempt to treat yourself. A
knowledgeable practitioner can tell you what herbs and in what doses are going
to be most beneficial for you. Some of the most popular ayurvedic remedies for
high blood pressure include sankhapuspi, ashwagandha, garlic, valerian, gotu
kola and trikatu, among others.

Ginseng
is a rather controversial blood pressure remedy because some people say that
it helps lower blood pressure and others say it helps raise blood pressure.
The theory is that ginseng is generally a blood pressure moderator, and
whether your blood pressure is high or low, it will help you get it to a more
normal level.

A
Korean study in which people took 1.5 grams of red Asian ginseng three times a
day for eight weeks, participants reduced their blood pressure by about five
percent. This study is interesting because it studied people with what's known
as "white coat hypertension," that is, people who have a spike in
blood pressure just from going to the doctor. It's possible the ginseng
reduced their stress levels rather than acting directly on blood pressure, but
either way it was helpful.

Drinking
as little as a half cup a day of green or oolong tea daily for a year could
cut the disk of hypertension by as much as 50 percent, according to a study
done in Taiwan. Drinking tea has long been associated with lower blood
pressure in
China
, and now studies are starting to bear out the truth of that assumption.

There
are many thousands of different compounds in tea that could be responsible for
the health benefits. Or it could simply be that drinking tea tends to calm
people down, which in turn reduces blood pressure. It could be a combination
of those factors. Caffeine, for instance, is known to reduce blood pressure
for a short period of time, but the effect is not thought to be long-lasting.
Theanine, an amino acid found in tea has been shown to reduce blood pressure
in rats.

There
are polyphenols in green tea especially that act as antioxidants, which may
have some effect on blood pressure. Other extracts seem to relax muscles, and
these are just the theories based on known compounds of tea.

Another
great reason to drink tea is that it is much healthier than soft drinks,
alcoholic drinks or even coffee in terms of its health benefits and it is
almost as hydrating as water. Replacing soft drinks with tea means you will
consume fewer calories and enjoy better health.

While Western medicine has become the norm in
many cultures, it is not the only treatment option. Conventional western
medicine, often called allopathic medicine, is the system of medicine taught
at most medical schools and most pharmaceutical and synthetic medicines are
manufactured and marketed according to the principles of allopathic
medicine. Allopathic medicine is also sometimes called orthodox medicine.

Because most of us in the Western world have
grown up in a society in which allopathic medicine is the prevailing norm,
we forget that, only a few decades ago, homeopathic, herbal and other
natural medicines were commonly available – and freely used even by
conventional doctors. While there are often heated debates about which
system of medicine is ‘better’ than the other, many responsible doctors
(whether they are allopathic or not) recognize that both have a role to play
in the treatment program. Natural medicine has often been frowned on by
conventional doctors, especially by those who did not have sufficient
knowledge of these medicines. However, it is encouraging to note that some
medical schools are now beginning to re-introduce it into their course work,
thereby providing doctors with a wider range of treatment options from which
to choose. In many countries, especially in Europe, India and China, natural
and homeopathic medicines are commonly prescribed by conventional doctors
and represent a significant part of the total annual drug sales.

Naturopathy is a branch of medicine (just as
allopathy is a branch of medicine) which operates according to the
underlying philosophy that the body has an innate capacity to heal itself.
While natural medicines are often called ‘alternative’ or
‘complimentary’ medicines, they are, in fact, a unique and independent
form of medicine in their own right, well able to treat a variety of
conditions. Perhaps the term ‘holistic’ medicine is more apt, given the
broad range of treatment options and approaches which are to be found within
the practice of natural medicine, which encompasses many different
disciplines, including herbalism, homeopathy, iridology, osteopathy,
chiropractic, therapeutic massage techniques, aromatherapy, acupuncture and
many, many more. Most naturopaths will use a variety of treatment modalities
in order to treat their patients in a holistic way to support health,
relieve symptoms and prevent future disease. In fact, even the World Health
Organization defines health as being "... more than simply the absence
of illness. It is the active state of physical, emotional, mental and social
well-being." This is a wonderfully clear description of holistic or
natural medicine, which strives to support health (thereby relieving or
preventing symptoms), rather than simply eliminating disease.

Although allopathic medicine certainly has a
role to play and has made a tremendous contribution to medical science
during the past century, there is a growing perception that it is not the
only answer and that, in many cases, holistic medicine can accomplish just
as much, if not more – without the risk of side effects, addiction and
sacrifice to health so commonly associated with pharmaceutical drugs.
Contrary to common perception, and provided that they are manufactured in
the correct way, natural medicines can work quickly and safely to promote
healing. In many cases, they can succeed where pharmaceutical drugs have
failed. Despite frequent reports that they are ‘unproven’ and
‘untested’, the opposite is true. Natural medicines have a long history
of usage and there is a wealth of empirical evidence to support their
effectiveness and safety. In addition, active clinical research is carried
out by many academic hospitals and universities to support the extensive
traditional and empirical evidence behind natural medicines.

It is also important to know that, like any
medicine, herbal and homeopathic medicines must be manufactured in the
correct way, following acceptable procedures and manufacturing methods to
ensure maximum effectiveness and safety. Due to the recent rise in
popularity of natural remedies, many companies have sprung up to take
advantage of the market. Unfortunately not all of them are equipped to
manufacture to the correct standards, often resulting in a flood of inferior
(and sometimes even unsafe) remedies onto the market – and giving natural
remedies a bad name. Even some pharmaceutical companies have rushed to claim
their market share by producing so-called ‘standardized’ extracts of
herbs and offering these as superior to the tried and tested methods of
naturopathic manufacturing. Nothing could be further from the truth. While
‘standardized’ extracts may offer benefit of easy consistency of dosage
(and cheaper more efficient production lines), they have grave
disadvantages. These include an increase in side effects as the medicines
produced in this manner lose the natural protective properties of the herbs.
In some cases, these side effects have proved fatal – as was seen in the
liver toxicity associated with standardized extracts of kava kava, a herb
previously safely used for generations without any known side effects.

Most naturopaths recommend what is called
the Full Spectrum Method of extraction – which retains the benefits of
ALL the active ingredients within the herb as opposed to isolating only one
– thereby providing a more complete treatment as well as superior
protection against side effects.

Whatever your choice, always choose wisely.
Research what is best for you. If you have a chronic or life threatening
condition, don’t make changes without first discussing them with your
doctor in order that your condition may be monitored. Well informed and
supportive practitioners will support patients who want to take
responsibility for their own health.

In the treatment of high blood pressure, the
following herbal and homeopathic remedies are often used as part of the
treatment plan.

High-Rite contains herbs which have
been carefully selected to balance and regulate blood pressure and
also to address some of the contributory factors which may be causing it.

While some of the ingredients in High-Rite
specifically target blood vessels which have become constricted,
others improve the heart's ability to pump blood effectively, while
also treating and preventing plaque build up in the arteries.

In addition to these properties, High-Rite
also helps to reduce stress and boost the body's ability to fight illness.
Each herb is in therapeutic dosage for maximum effect.

High-Rite comes
in capsule form and contains the following therapeutic herbs:

Crataegus oxyacantha
(Hawthorn) is one of the most highly respected natural remedies for high
blood pressure and has well-known cardio-protective properties. Hawthorn
dilates blood vessels by blocking the action of a blood constricting
enzyme called ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme). This increases the
heart's energy supply and improves its pumping ability. Hawthorn not
only reduces blood pressure in cases where there are chronically
constricted arteries but its anti-oxidant properties also help to
protect against damage caused by plaque build up in the coronary
arteries.

Passiflora incarnata
is a well known calmative herb which also relaxes blood vessels and
reduces blood pressure.

Viburnum opulus
(Guelder Rose bark) is a very effective cardiac tonic and muscle
relaxant. It is known to relax the cardiovascular system and also to
relieve nervous tension, often associated with high blood pressure.

Ginkgo biloba
is one of the oldest trees on the planet, dating back about 200 million
years. It has survived mainly in Oriental temple gardens, where it is
highly prized for its medicinal properties in Chinese Traditional
Medicine. Modern studies have demonstrated the significant effect that
Ginkgo biloba has on the cardiovascular system, relaxing blood vessels,
acting as a circulatory stimulant and anti-inflammatory. One of the most
important active ingredients, ginkgolide, has been clinically shown to
be just as effective as standard pharmaceutical drugs in treating
irregular heart beats. Improving blood flow throughout the body, Ginkgo
biloba can also reduce blood 'stickiness', which lowers the risk of
blood clots.

Diuretics cause the kidneys to remove more
sodium and water from the body, which helps to relax the blood vessel walls,
thereby lowering blood pressure.

Aqua-Rite comes
in a concentrated tincture form and contains the following therapeutic
herbs:

Agathosma betulina
(Buchu) is one of South Africa's best known medicinal plants and has
been used by the indigenous peoples of the area for centuries to treat a
wide range of ailments. It is an effective diuretic and
anti-inflammatory. Early Dutch settlers used Buchu to make a brandy
tincture and Boegoebrandewyn (Buchu brandy) is still used today to treat
many disorders.

Taraxacum officinale
(Dandelion) is a rich source of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin
A, D, C, various B Vitamins, iron, lecithin, silicon, potassium,
magnesium, zinc and manganese. It enhances liver and gall bladder
functioning and may decrease high blood pressure due to its diuretic
properties.

Olea europea
is well known for its ability to lower blood pressure, improve
circulatory functioning and balance blood sugar levels.

We've already talked at length about a number of wonderful things you can
do to prevent high blood pressure, namely eat right, especially reducing the
sodium in your diet, exercise more, limit your alcohol intake and lose weight if
you are overweight.

Not only will these four lifestyle changes help you prevent high blood
pressure, they should keep you safe from a lot of other health problems you
could face, from diabetes to cancer.

But there are many other things you can do to prevent high blood pressure
or to keep yourself on a healthy road once you have lowered your blood pressure.
One of the biggest ones is controlling stress.

Many studies suggest that lowering your stress levels or having a
productive way to deal with the stress in your life will keep your blood
pressure low. That's one reason aerobic exercise is so helpful, because not only
does it strengthen your heart, it gives you an outlet than can reduce stress.
Even mild stress can raise your blood pressure, so it is important to have a
plan from day to day that will help you reduce stress and deal with the stress
you can't eliminate constructively.

Other things you can do to reduce stress include practicing yoga or Tai
chi, meditation, biofeedback, breathing exercises, even hypnotherapy. Anything
that can get you to take some time away from your busy schedule and focus on
relaxation can be helpful, even if it’s just playing with your kids or chasing
the dog around the yard.

Pets, in fact, are a wonderful way to lower your blood pressure or
prevent high blood pressure in the first place. Not only can the act of petting
an animal lower your blood pressure, pet owners in general tend to have lower
blood pressure, even when not with their animals.

It's important to find a good, productive way to handle your stress.
Bottling stress up can cause heart attacks and other health problems, as well
as, of course, raising your blood pressure. Whether you work out, enjoy a hobby,
go to therapy or even share your worries with a friend or family member, all of
these things will improve your health.

Many of the stress-reducing techniques mentioned above have been tested
in relation to high blood pressure and have been found to be effective at
lowering stress levels and, thus, high blood pressure. Not every method will
work for everyone, but it is important to find something that will work for you
so that every stressful event isn't sending you over the edge and potentially
harming your long-term health.

One other thing that might help you reduce stress and live your optimum
life is training your brain to give you its best. You can find out more about
how to be more productive, reduce your stress levels, become more creative,
think "smarter" and reduce your sleeping problems (we'll talk more
about sleep in just a second) by visiting www.bartonpublishing.com/optimindzation.
This information truly can change your life and make you much more productive
and simply a better thinker in everything you do. That might make you a little
less stressed about things, don't you think?

Get
Some Sun

We know that we tend to feel more relaxed after a good vacation, but part
of the reason may just be getting a good amount of sunlight. The UV rays from
the sun have been found to boost mood, which may lower blood pressure.

Vitamin D is plentiful in sunlight, and it is necessary for a healthy
immune system. Getting enough vitamin D will keep you healthier in all sorts of
ways.

You've probably also heard of SAD or seasonal affective disorder, a kind
of seasonal depression linked to not getting enough sunlight. Stepping outside
and getting some sun when you're feeling stressed may make you feel better and
help control your blood pressure.

Sleep is, of course, vital for reducing stress levels and living a
healthy life. If you aren't getting enough good quality sleep it can affect your
blood pressure. If you don't feel like you're sleeping as well as you should,
and especially if your sleeping partner complains that you are snoring more than
normal, you might want to get checked for sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a condition in which you actually stop breathing while you
are asleep. Breathing usually starts again on its own and you probably won't
even be aware that it's happening, but you could have 20 to 60 of these episodes
an hour, which certainly disturbs your sleep.

About half of all sleep apnea patients are thought to have high blood
pressure, so it's an important warning sign that you might be on the road to
high blood pressure or other heart problems if you don’t get it treated.

Even if you don't have sleep apnea, getting a good night's sleep is so
important for general health and well being. If you're sleep deprived, you'll
feel more stress from smaller incidents. These little things that get on your
nerves will raise your blood pressure and could even lead to a heart attack or
other health problems.

If you're having trouble sleeping, consider buying a new mattress or
talking to your doctor about prescription sleep aids. Drinking tea, particularly
chamomile tea, before bed can be helpful. Also lavender and valerian are good
for making you feel more calm and ready to sleep.

Set a sleep schedule that you can keep realistically. Try not to sleep in
on the weekends if you can help it, because your body will do better if you keep
a regular sleep schedule. Also, make sure you don't use the bed for anything
other than sleeping and sex. If you do work in bed your mind might associate it
as a place for work and stress, which won't help you sleep. And watching
television in bed is a bad idea, too. For one thing, it's stimulation, which you
don’t need when you're trying to sleep, and it keeps your bedroom from being a
relaxing, quiet, peaceful haven, which is what you need if you're looking for a
good night's rest.

If you're still having trouble sleeping and don’t know what to do,
visit http://www.sleeeeep.com. This site can provide you with a wealth of
information about cranking up your levels of deep sleep naturally to gain more
energy and boost your productivity, even while you are sleeping less. Getting
enough of the right kind of sleep can really change your life, improve the
quality of your life and give you more energy to do things you love, as well as
ridding you of health problems caused by stress over not being able to sleep
properly. You owe it to yourself to check out this vital information.

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that
eating or drinking cocoa lowered blood pressure and reduced the risk of death in
older men. Substances known as flavan-3-ols found in dark chocolate have been
shown to lower blood pressure and improve the function of cells lining the blood
vessels.

Men who ate chocolate regularly over a 15-year study were found to have
lower blood pressure than those who didn't, even when weight, smoking, physical
activity and other factors were taken into account.

This doesn't mean you should run out and start gobbling up candy bars,
however. The most protective compounds are found in dark chocolate, and it
should still only be consumed in small quantities. And it's not as clear that
the benefits exist for women, but it couldn't hurt to try, now, could it?

Eat
your vegetables. Getting a varied
diet high in vegetables will help you get a lot of the nutrients that are
helpful in lowering blood pressure. Aim for four to five servings of
vegetables a day. A great way to add veggies to your diet is to eat a salad
for or with your lunch every day. A cup of lettuce with a half cup of other
vegetables added in gives you one serving of vegetables.

Load
up on fruit. Fruit, of course, is also important for maintaining health.
We talked earlier about the importance of vitamin C, which is abundant in
citrus fruits. You should also try to get four or five servings of fruit a
day. This is hard for a lot of people, but if you work up to it gradually
you'll find it's not much of a problem. A glass of orange juice at
breakfast, a banana (high in potassium!) for a snack and about 16 grapes as
an after-dinner treat gets three servings down.

Switch
to whole grains. Many of the nutrients that are important for healthy
blood pressure are found in whole grains. Oats in particular are helpful for
reducing cholesterol, which can also reduce blood pressure. Aim to get at
least half of your grains from whole grains. If you're not eating any whole
grains currently, switch first to whole grain bread. Then try whole grain
pasta and brown rice. The whole grain versions of your favorite grains tend
to have a nuttier flavor that is quite delicious.

Eat
your fish. Two or three servings of fish weekly is a great way to
protect your heart, and the fish oil can reduce high blood pressure. If you
don't eat fish, supplement with fish oil capsules or one tablespoon of
flaxseed oil daily.

Make
it lean. Go for lean meats and poultry whenever possible. Lower fat
meats are always a healthy choice. Also consider lower-fat dairy products
and even including some soy in your diet, if you don't already.

Nosh
on nuts. Nuts are a great snack and many nuts are filled with
micronutrients and vitamins that can keep you healthy. They may reduce the
risk of heart disease, help you keep a healthy weight and reduce your risk
of diabetes. An ounce of walnuts daily gives you all the Omega 3s you need,
while almonds are a great source of vitamin
E. Brazil
nuts are a great source of potassium and selenium.

Drink
more water. Hydration is important for all sorts of reasons, but a
wonderful thing that drinking lots of water does for you is clean out any
waste that's accumulated in the body. Drinking water will help flush out
sodium, in addition to other waste products in the body. Drinking lots of
water helps you feel more full, which is helpful when trying to lose weight.
Water helps your body function at its peak (that's what most of it is made
of, after all) and is calorie free. Try substituting one caloric beverage a
day for water until you are drinking at least eight glasses a day.

Pass
on the salt. Though the link between high-sodium diets and high blood
pressure is not conclusive, many people with high blood pressure are
sensitive to the sodium in salt. Most people get way more salt than they
need. Try seasoning with other spices that bring more flavors to dishes you
cook at home, and cut down on prepared foods, which are filled with more
salt than anyone needs. If you have to eat fast food, drink lots of water to
help get rid of the excess sodium.

Eat
more organics. Organic foods are grown and processed without the use of
pesticides and other man-made chemicals. They are thought to include more
healthy nutrients than conventionally produced foods, and their production
is less stressful to the planet. Organics can be expensive, so starts
transferring to organics gradually or only buy organic those foods that have
the highest pesticide load, such as peaches, strawberries, bell peppers,
apples and lettuce.

Drink
tea. It's not known exactly what it is about tea that makes it so
healthy, but it does seem to reduce blood pressure and improve heart health.
Stick to green tea if possible, as it seems to contain more of the healthful
compounds. Drink at least one cup of tea daily, hot or cold, and you'll see
all sorts of health benefits. Cut out one soda or cup of coffee a day and
drink tea instead.

Exercise
regularly. There is no better way to
improve the condition of your heart than to exercise it. Getting just a half
hour of moderate physical activity at least five days a week can go a long
way toward lowering your blood pressure and improving your health overall.
For tips on how to lose weight and get in shape for life, check out www.BartonPublishing.com/leannesslifestyle.
Coach Dave has been a personal virtual fitness coach for seven years and has
helped thousands of people meet their diet and fitness goals. If you visit
the site you can listen to a free audio about his program and sign up for a
free 30-day trial of his program.

Practice
deep breathing techniques. A great way to reduce the stress reaction
when you are in a stressful moment is to breathe deeply. Often when we are
stressed out we start breathing shallowly or even hold our breath. The next
time you feel stressed, close your eyes if you can, inhale to a count of
five, hold for three seconds and exhale to a count of five. Wait three more
seconds and repeat. Doing this cycle as few as five times will make you feel
a lot more in control and will help your blood pressure as well.

Do
yoga, Tai chi, meditation or other stress-reducing techniques. I'm a big
fan of yoga because I know that it works to help you feel calm, as well as
more flexible, confident and comfortable in your body, all things that are
important for good health. Yoga also includes an emphasis on deep breathing,
which is important for relaxation and lowering blood pressure. Tai chi,
meditation and other techniques that involve slow, steady movement and deep
breathing can also be helpful. Even going for a slow, meditative walk around
your neighborhood a couple of times a week can work wonders on your blood
pressure.

Minimize
stress. There's only so much you can do to get stress out of your life,
and we actually couldn't live without stress, but you should do what you can
to take stress out of your life. If that means delegating a task at work or
at home that you hate, saying no to obligations that aren't any fun, or
taking more time off from work to spend with your kids, do what you need to
do to cut some stress from your life. Your blood pressure and your loved
ones will thank you.

Quit
smoking. One of the most important things you can do to improve your
health if you smoke is to quit. I didn't say it was easy, I said it was
important. Smoking is linked to cancer and heart disease, but it also
increases blood pressure by constricting the arteries. If you're a woman on
birth control and you smoke, this damage is even more pronounced. There are
no two ways about it: quit smoking right away! If you need help quitting
smoking, and, let's be honest, most people do, visit http://www.SmokingCure.com.
This site will help you learn, in about three hours, how you can quit
smoking, save money and improve your health without using patches, gum, or
any of the other quit smoking crutches that never seem to work the way they
are supposed to. This program helps you talk yourself out of the idea that
smoking is good, fun, calming or whatever positive associations you have
with smoking. It can really help you stop smoking for good in a very short
time if you follow the program to the letter. Check it out.

The
last two sections of the last chapter should give you are really good idea of
the health and lifestyle changes you should be making in order to lower your
blood pressure or keep your blood pressure from rising, if you don't already
have high blood pressure.

But
here's a quick tip sheet that will run down all the basics you should cover in
your new healthy lifestyle to keep your blood pressure down without drugs. If
you can make a big effort to reduce your weight, exercise more and eat more
healthy foods, not only will your health in general improve in just a matter of
months, you'll see your blood pressure go down as well.

Again,
this is for informational purposes only. Always talk to your doctor before
making a drastic change in your diet, especially if you are currently on
prescription drugs for high blood pressure or any other medical condition. If
you are planning to start taking supplements or herbal remedies to treat your
high blood pressure, it is even more important to talk to your doctor. Seemingly
harmless supplements can have serious interactions with prescription drugs, so
make sure you tell your doctor everything you are taking as well as the doses.
Better safe than sorry.

So
without further ado, let's take a quick look at the things you should start
doing today to lower your blood pressure naturally and safely. If you need any
more information on any of these suggestions, go back to the section of the
eBook where they were first mentioned, or check the resources in the next
chapter for more information.

Lower
your salt intake to less than 2,400 milligrams a day. If possible, going as
low as 1,500 milligrams a day will have a more dramatic affect if you are
sensitive to sodium.

Make
sure you're getting enough potassium. The DASH program recommended 4,700
milligrams a day. It's best to get potassium from foods, including bananas,
vegetable juice and potatoes.

Check
on your calcium levels as well. A daily dose of 1,250 milligrams was used in
the DASH study. Make sure you're choosing lower-fat daily products or other
non-dairy sources, such as broccoli.

Make
sure you're getting at least 500 milligrams of magnesium. Take a
multivitamin that includes magnesium, zinc, copper and selenium, as well as
all the standard vitamins and minerals.

Pack
in the fiber as well. We talked before about the importance of oat bran, but
any fiber is going to be helpful for clearing out the excess gunk in your
body and keeping your blood pressure levels more normal. Switch to whole
grain foods whenever possible.

Here's
your new food pyramid: six to eight servings of grains, four to five
servings each of fruit and vegetables and two or three servings of low-fat
dairy products daily. Add lean meats no more than six times a week, nuts and
seeds four or five times a week, and sparing use of fats, oils and sweets.
This plan should help you lose weight as well as lower your blood pressure.

Don't
forget to exercise. At least half an hour four or five times a week will do
wonders for your blood pressure, as well as your physique if you need to
lose weight.

Choose
water and tea over soft drinks and alcohol.

Seek
out ways to relieve and reduce stress, and participate in activities that
relax you.

Add
garlic, cayenne, hawthorn or other supplements to your diet if you need more
help. Apple cider vinegar is an easy way to boost your intake of many
vitamins and nutrients your body needs to help regulate your blood pressure.

Remember
to breathe!

Continue
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It's packed with tips about health, nutrition and exercise that will keep
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The American Heart
Association (http://www.Americanheart.org) has a wonderful collection of
pages about high blood pressure, how it is diagnosed and the many different ways
to treat it. If you're looking at conventional treatments or want to know more
about what these treatments might do you to, check out the association's
extensive list of blood pressure drugs (http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2141).

A wonderful site full of
general information on blood pressure and non-medical treatments is Holistic
Online (http://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Heart/hypert_home.htm). This
site includes many, many pages about how to treat high blood pressure, both by
changing your lifestyle and adding supplements. It offers a very common sense
approach to dealing with high blood pressure and coming up with a treatment plan
that makes sense for you.

The National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/) has a wealth of information
on high blood pressure to share. Particularly helpful on this site is
information specific to women who are on the pill, pregnant or on hormone
replacement therapy, which are all conditions that can alter blood pressure.

Life Clinic (http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/blood/whatisit.asp)
is another good site with a lot of general information about blood pressure,
what it is and how to lower it. This site can also help you find a doctor and
offers a free hypertension cookbook that will help you cook healthier meals for
yourself and your family. If you aren't sure how to make some of the necessary
lifestyle changes, this site will help a lot.

For details of the DASH diet,
visit Health
Castle
(http://www.healthcastle.com/high-blood-pressure-diet.shtml) and the National
Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/introduction.html).
You can also download a PDF brochure on the DASH plan at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf.

If you want to know more about
how to exercise safely with high blood pressure, check out this page from WebMD
(http://www.webmd.com/content/article/96/103776.htm), and don't forget to
check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program. Holistic Online
(http://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Heart/hypert_exercise.htm) also has a
good page with tips on using exercise to control high blood pressure.

For more on sleep apnea, visit
the website of the National Sleep Foundation (http://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleeplibrary/index.php?secid=&id=61).

If you're wondering exactly
what makes a serving of fruit or vegetables, visit Five a Day
(http://www.5aday.gov/), the federal website that encourages eating more fruits
and veggies. The Environmental Working Group (http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php)
has a handy chart that shows the fruits and vegetables with the highest
pesticide load, so you know which ones to buy organic.

For tips on preparing raw
garlic to be used as a treatment for high blood pressure, check out Science
News (http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arc98/5_23_98/food.htm).

Body and Fitness
(http://www.bodyandfitness.com/Information/Health/bloodpressure.htm) has a good
rundown of supplements to take and other things to do to cut your blood
pressure.

Dietician.com
(http://www.dietitian.com/salt.html) has a good page on the salt debate and what
it has to do with high blood pressure.

A somewhat dated press release
from Hopkins Medicine (http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/press/1997/MAY/199716.HTM)
talks about studies into the efficacy of taking potassium to lower high blood
pressure.

Chocoloate.org
(http://www.chocolate.org/health/darkchocolate.html), naturally, can tell you
all about how chocolate may be beneficial to the heart, including by reducing
blood pressure.

The University of
California
(http://www.ucihealth.uci.edu/News/Releases/060399.htm) reported on a study
about using acupuncture to treat high blood pressure and heart disease.

World Tai Chi (http://www.worldtaichiday.org/LIBRARYArticles/LIBRARYTaiChiHIGHBLOODPRESSURE.html)
has a good roundup of studies and other information about how Tai chi might be
used to treat high blood pressure.

The Colorado State
University Extension Service (http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/columnnn/nn000621.html)
has a nice basic page detailing the benefits of tea and why choosing to drink
tea over many other different kinds of drinks can be beneficial to your health.
While this page doesn't specifically address high blood pressure, it is a good
way to get some more general information about green tea.

Be sure to visit www.BartonPublishing.com
for more home remedy reports and links to other resources dedicated to your good
health!